Pāpāmoa East interchange construction work start

An artist’s impression of the Pāpāmoa East Interchange. Photo: Supplied.

Tauranga City Council has started preliminary work needed for the construction of the new Pāpāmoa East Interchange.

The interchange will connect neighbourhoods in Pāpāmoa East to the Tauranga Eastern Link / State Highway 2.

Earthworks have begun and will require traffic lanes on the TEL to be reduced for the next six months, from Monday, August 15.

Tauranga commission chair Anne Tolley says the interchange is much-needed and can't come soon enough.

'It will provide people living in Pāpāmoa East with a welcome alternative travel route, no matter what their destination.

'The interchange also means we will have the road capacity to enable more housing and commercial development in the area, which is essential to support our growing city.”

Construction starts with earthworks to build the necessary height either side of the motorway.

During this first phase of work, nine-metre-high embankment walls will be built, as well as a number of stormwater culverts, in preparation for construction of the interchange itself, scheduled for 2023.

This work will take place in the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road corridor, on the western side of the Kaituna River bridge.

Traffic impacts – August 2022 to March 2023 To allow this work to proceed while keeping people traveling on the road and construction staff safe, traffic on the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (State Highway 2) will be impacted for the next six months.

Traffic will reduce to one lane in both directions until Monday, October 3, after which only a westbound lane will be closed for the remainder of the work. The speed limit will reduce to 70kph through the site for the duration of this work.

Under normal circumstances, travel time is expected to increase by less than a minute as a result of this work. As this does not materially impact travel, tolls will continue to apply.

Drivers will be notified of the work and scheduled changes to driving circumstances by digital signs either side of the worksite.

Development of the Rangiuru Business Park is also scheduled to start later this year, which means drivers on the TEL will likely encounter two worksites within in a short distance for a number of weeks.

Tauranga City Council will endeavour to keep impacts on travel arising from the Pāpāmoa East Interchange work to a minimum and will work with Waka Kotahi to manage any issues which do arise.

For more information about the Pāpāmoa East Interchange and construction, visit www.tauranga.govt.nz/pei.

For up-to-date information on road works, traffic, detours and delays, drivers are encouraged to visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website.

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7 comments

But

Posted on 14-08-2022 16:39 | By Kancho

No it for Omokoroa it seems a proper interchange in a very busy open highway. Wonder what Omokoroans have done or not done to wait so long already. Well it's wait another plus ten years it seems with a much less satisfactory roundabout. Unless of course it becomes a terrible snarl up traffic wise and people in Omokoroa rise up. Time will tell


BUT

Posted on 14-08-2022 16:56 | By waiknot

Sorry to be a sceptic, but based on progress on current projects, will it actually get completed?


Toll Roads and Obstructions

Posted on 14-08-2022 19:26 | By rational?

Why would you pay for a road that becomes a barrier with construction. Toll Rd to Lakes has been a barrier for some time with reduced speed, best to go another way.


A query, please

Posted on 14-08-2022 21:43 | By Wundrin

Will people using the PEI have to pay a toll to use the Tauranga-bound motorway or will tolls only apply to traffic heading towards Paengaroa?


Te Puke access

Posted on 15-08-2022 12:09 | By CliftonGuy

It has been noted that planners have apparently overlooked the opportunity to enable direct access to Te Puke from Papamoa via this intersection, instead of going the long way via Tara Road.


uhh

Posted on 16-08-2022 19:03 | By hexsayer

one lane? 70km zone? six months?? if it's anything how the Pah road site dismantling is going, it'll never get done... $2.10? should be $1.20, I'm not going 70kmph and still paying 110kmph prices... +my vehicles gas +gst +rates +WOF +maintenance/repairs. Nah, wheres the publics fair go?


Reduced limit.

Posted on 17-08-2022 16:54 | By The Professor

I wonder how long it will be after this intersection opens, that the speed limit will be reduced to 100 or 90 or 80? This is an expressway so hopefully this is not the start of numerous side roads.


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